A rallying call has gone out to Blackburn Rovers fans to get behind the side ahead of their crunch match against fellow promotion rivals Shrewsbury Town on Saturday.

Tony Mowbray’s side take on the Shrews knowing a victory at Ewood Park would close the gap on the second-placed team to two points in the League One table.

John Murray, from the Blackburn Rovers Supporters Trust, believes it is a ‘gem’ of a game.

He said: “Football is about supporting your teams and this is the kind of match you want to see.

“We need to bring people out to support them. Whether they are regular fans, or people who used to come to Rovers or even people who are taking an interest in how they are getting on. And we hope that Tony and the players can do a job.”

Mr Murray admits the club has a growing sense of ‘optimism’ at the midway point in the season.

“It is a key game and we are hoping that they are co-ordinated for it. We were disappointed about the cup game last week but we want a higher level of performance this week.

“It is so far, so good. The trust is happy that the club has got a chief executive and the squad is looking good so we are cautiously optimistic.

“We played away to Wigan and came back with a draw despite being down to 10 men and we feel we are not inferior to anybody.

The two sides met back in September when Bradley Dack’s late equaliser ensured Rovers earned a share of the spoils. Dack has been one of the shining lights and was nominated for the League One Player of the Month for the second consecutive month.

Murray believes the 24-year-old has impressed fans this season.
“He is a very special player and is a typical Rovers player like Damien Duff or Simon Garner with lower body weight but is wriggly. He can take on the opposition and cause them trouble.”
Asian Image is offering readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the game.

All you have to do it tell us: Who scored a goal for Rovers when the two sides played earlier this season? Send the answer to skhan@nqnw.co.uk with your name and contact number, by midnight tomorrow (Thursday January 11 2018).

Usual Newsquest rules apply, visit newsquest.co.uk/prize-competition-rules.